


The Witch's Familiar

by GatorGirl2016



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Protective Dean Winchester, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Witch Castiel (Supernatural), Witch Gabriel (Supernatural), Witch's Familiar Dean Winchester, Witch's Familiar Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:53:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GatorGirl2016/pseuds/GatorGirl2016
Summary: Castiel is an extremely powerful witch and his magic has become uncontrollable. He has been given two choices: find a familiar to balance his magic or be killed. Castiel's brother, Gabe, and his familiar, Sam, suggest that Cas meets Sam's brother, Dean, the most powerful familiar any of them haver ever met. Dean has been hurt in the past because of his unusual familiar form. Will Dean and Cas be compatible? Will Cas accept the familiar's animal form? What happens when Cas' secret threatens to tear them apart?
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 20
Kudos: 319





	1. Witch Meets Familiar

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, I have been cramming to write this fic so I could make the cutoff for the Destiel Trope Collection 2020. I got this idea in my head and just knew I had to write it and I have enjoyed it so much. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

“We are sorry Castiel, but we have no choice. We’ve already given you years more time than what we should because of your brother being on the council but we simply can’t put it off any longer. Your magic grows more powerful every year and your control on it weakens with every year. You must find a familiar by the end of the month or we will be forced to take drastic measures and you know what that means Castiel,” the high Priestess said through the scrying mirror.

The witch chewed on his lip as he nodded solemnly, “Yes Priestess I do. It means you will either drain me of my magic or kill me.”

The woman’s face softened slightly, “It was not a decision we came to lightly Castiel but this last incident showed us that you are no longer in control and something must be done about that before the humans come to serious harm.”

“I know Priestess. I never meant for any of it to happen. I’m sorry for the people who were injured,” Cas replied as images of swirling winds and torrential rains flooded his mind. He saw the broken bodies of the people who had been caught in the path of his storm.

“We know that which is why we are giving you two weeks to find a familiar Castiel. Some of us wanted to strip you of your magic tomorrow but your brother spoke very adamantly against that and so we came to a compromise,” the woman explained.

Cas knew it meant that everyone on the council wanted to strip him of his magic except for Gabe and only his incessant whining had been enough to prolong the inevitable.

“I will do my best priestess or else I shall see you in a couple of weeks.”

The woman pursed her lips, “We do hope for the best. Goodbye Castiel.”

Cas heaved a deep sigh before replying, “Goodbye Priestess.”

He watches as the mirror went cloudy before going blank, the woman’s head no longer hanging in the middle. He picked the mirror up and with heavy steps, walked to his dresser and placed it back in its box. He rubbed his hands through his hair frustratedly before heading to his kitchen.

Without thinking about the consequences of using his magic he waved his hand, the coffee pot starting. He nearly jumped out of his shoes when every other appliance in the kitchen turned on as well as the sink. He rushed to turn everything off, panic in his eyes. He leaned against the counter heavily once the only thing still on was the coffee pot. He looked at his hands and glared at the multicolored sparks he could see dancing just above the skin, evidence of just how powerful his magic was. As he watched the sparks, he swore he could see little strings of light dancing between them, connecting and disconnecting them over and over. The Priestess was right, his magic was getting stronger and he was losing his grip on it.

The only hope that the young witch had to gain control of his magic was to bond with a familiar. Familiars were people who had the ability to act like a conduit for a witch’s magic, helping to control and tame it so that it wasn’t so wild. Every familiar had the ability to shift into an animal form which helped to determine the magic it was best suited in assisting with.

Reptiles familiars were usually attuned with witches who practiced alchemy. They helped their witches make strong potions and charms that could be sold to the humans to help treat their ailments. Bird familiars were often bonded to elemental witches, those who had control of the elements, wind, water, air, and fire. These witches helped control the elements and were the defenders of the world, doing their best to limit the destruction of natural disasters. Feline and canine familiars partnered with healers, helping their witches to take care of the sick and dying. There were many different fields of healing magic, all specializing in different areas of the body.

There were other types of familiars of course but those were the most common. The rarest form of familiars were the mythics. These familiars took the shape of creatures that lived only in folklore and myths. Regal beasts such as unicorns or pegasi, fearsome dragons and manticores, familiars that only bonded with the most powerful of witches. They were as rare as the creatures they turned into.

Castiel’s brother Gabriel had his own mythic, Sam Winchester. The Winchester bloodline was one of the most famous always producing mythics if the children turned out to be familiars. Sam himself turned into a beautiful golden dragon who stood nearly fifteen feet at the shoulder. Sam was as smart as he was powerful and along with Gabe, they made a formidable pair. Gabe’s potions were the strongest Castiel had ever seen.

Castiel himself was an elemental witch but unlike most, he was connected to all four elements meaning his magic was attuned with every aspect of nature, from animals, to plants, to the weather. It was his connection to the weather that made him so dangerous.

As Cas had grown and his magic developed, he had moved from place to place trying to find somewhere where his magic wasn’t so affected. It was pointless, no matter where he went, disaster followed. The east coast of the United States was plagued with hurricanes, snowstorms, and floods. As you moved west, hurricanes turned to tornadoes, snowstorms to wildfires, and floods to earthquakes. No place was safe and therefore nowhere that Cas’ magic didn’t explode and cause destruction.

Elemental witches were supposed to help control their elements but because Castiel had lost that control, his magic only fueled the disasters around him. A category one hurricane turned into a category five. A small fire turned into a raging inferno and so on. The incident the Priestess had referred to had occurred a few weeks ago. A small rain shower had turned into a violent thunderstorm causing flooding and innocent people to lose their lives.

Cas sighed heavily, knowing a search for a familiar was pointless. He had been searching for a compatible once since his eighteenth birthday when he was already stronger than most witches twice his age. By the time he came into his full powers at twenty-one, the raven-haired witch was already struggling to maintain a grip on his powers.

Gabe had done everything he could to help his little brother, but Cas’ magic had become too much even for him to handle. Even Sam couldn’t do anything but that wasn’t surprising. Once a familiar bonded with a witch he could only contain that witch’s magic. They had helped come up with potions to help dull the raven’s magic, but they were no longer working just like all the protective charms around Cas’ house was failing.

For seven years, the witch had searched for a familiar and none had even come close to be able to help him. He had tried to bond with thirteen different familiars. Four had been severely wounded, five had been able to touch his magic with theirs for no longer than a minute lest they be injured too. The other four had walked into the room, sensed his magic and refused to even touch Cas’ magic knowing they weren’t strong enough.

The young witch was startled from his musing when he heard a knock on his door. He knew who it was as there was only two people who could get through his wards without alerting him. He walked to the door to let his brother and his brother’s familiar in.

As soon as he opened the door, he was enveloped in a hug. “Cassie, how’s it going bro.”

Cas rolled his eyes at his brother’s enthusiasm, the man always on a permanent sugar rush. He returned the hug before pulling away and walking back to his kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee for each of them before settling at his table. Gabe waved his hand and they watched as the creamer and sugar floated through the air before landing lightly in front of them.

Gabe and Sam fixed their coffee to their desired before the older Novak brother sent the cream and sugar back to their proper places. Cas had his hands wrapped tightly around his cup and was staring into its depths as if hoping it would give him an answer to his problem.

He looked up when he felt a hand on his arm. There was no way his brother couldn’t see his magic sparking just above his skin, but he chose not to say anything. Gabe had a frown as he spoke, “The Priestess called, didn’t she?”

The younger Novak nodded in defeat, “Yes Gabe she did, and she told me the council’s decision. I have two weeks to find a familiar or else my life will be over.”

Gabe slammed his cup down, the liquid sloshing onto the table, “She said they would drain your magic, not kill you!”

“You know draining me won’t work, my magic is too strong. There’s no way they will be able to pull every lost drop from me. We both know it will just replenish itself over time and then we will be right back where we started,” the witch growled, having already come to a decision on the matter.

Sam spoke up, his voice full of anger, “It’s not fair Cas. You don’t deserve to…die. You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met; you’d never harm a fly.”

Cas took a deep breath, “That’s the problem Sam, my magic is hurting people. You know the weather feeds it and I can’t keep it from exploding. The flood that I caused killed three people and destroyed ten homes. I won’t allow myself to continue doing that. If me…dying is the only way, then so be it.”

Gabe pushed to his feet shaking his head as he paced in the small space, “No, this wasn’t our plan. We were supposed to travel the world for hundreds if not thousands of years. We ran away from our old coven to be free, to be free together. Now, you’re telling me that I’m going to have to do it all alone!”

Gabe was shouting, his hands running through his long curly hair and mussing it up. Sam pulled his witch into his lap, the short man fitting easily against the much taller familiar. He ran his fingers through his witch’s hair, trying to sooth him.

The Winchester looked up, “Gabe’s right Cas. Think about all the plans you made. You can’t give up so easily.”

The younger Novak threw his hands in the air in agitation “What am I supposed to do Sam. I’ve looked for a familiar for seven years and I haven’t come across one that’s even close to being able to handle my magic. No offense, but even you wouldn’t have been strong enough for me. I have no hope left so why not just accept the inevitable?”

Cas watched as his brother and Sam locked eyes. They had been bonded for less than a year and already their connection was stronger and purer than many he had seen. These telepathic conversations between them were common, allowing them to speak faster than words ever could.

“Are you guys going to tell me what you’re communicating about or are you just going to let me sit here,” Cas asked, his irritation growing by the second.

He had come to terms with his fate so why couldn’t they. Deep down he knew why. He was the only family Gabe had left that he could go to. Their coven had kicked them out years ago when Cas had accidentally destroyed a part of the town they lived in when a tornado had passed close by. Without him, Gabe would only have Sam.

The witch was drug from his stupor when fingers were snapped in front of his face. He blinked his eyes and looked up at Sam. “What if you talked to my brother,” the Winchester asked.

Cas reeled back in shock, “You have a brother?”

Sam sighed before giving a single nod of his head, “Yeah, I do. I’ve never mentioned him because he asks me not to. He doesn’t really like people knowing about him.”

Cas tilted his head in confusion, “I don’t understand, why would he not want people to know about him? Does he have a disability or something?”

The tall man rubbed at the back of his neck, a sign of how unsettled he was with talking about his brother, “Not exactly. It’s his familiar form; he’s ashamed of it.”

“Why would he be ashamed of his other form,” Cas asked, obviously confused by the statement.

“It’s not exactly a normal form,” Sam said haltingly.

“Is he not a mythic?”

“No, he is, it’s just, you’d just have to see Cas,” the man finished lamely.

“Cas, I’ve met Dean and he’s a great guy, but he’s had worse luck of finding a witch than you have a familiar. It has put him in a pretty rough place,” Gabe explained.

“I would like to meet him, if he’s willing of course. I won’t force him and please don’t tell him about… about my deadline. I wouldn’t want him to bond with me out of pity,” the raven-haired witch replied as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Let me go call him and see if he would be willing to come over,” Sam said as he slid Gabe from his lap. They watched him walk outside before Cas returned his attention to his brother.

“Wait, Dean lives around here,” Cas asked, surprised since he knew most everyone in town and where they lived.

“Not in town, he actually lives in a secluded cabin in the woods. He rarely leaves it, we typically deliver whatever he needs to him,” the older Novak explained.

“Why won’t he leave? What is so bad about his familiar form?”

“Cas, can you just chill it with the questions. You’ll understand if Dean comes over,” the witch snapped at his brother.

“I’m sorry, you were the one who was so gung-ho for me to find a familiar not ten minutes ago. Now, I’m learning about this mysterious mythic familiar who happens to be your familiar’s brother and you guys want to keep me in the dark. You need to pick what side you’re on,” Castiel said, his anger rising with every word.

“I do want you to find a familiar but Dean, he’s been hurt Cas, badly. He’s been used, witches have strung him along for his power, promising to bond with him only to break it off after they got what they wanted from him.”

Cas was offended, “You think I would do that to someone?”

“I never said that. I’m just saying, you need to calm your enthusiasm down or else you might scare him off before you truly get to know him. I care about him and I really do think he will be a match for you,” Gabe explained to his irate brother.

The younger Novak took another sip of his coffee as Sam walked back in. He looked at the tall man expectedly. “Well, what did your brother say?”

“It took a lot of convincing, Gabe you may owe him a dozen pies by the end of the week, but he said he would come meet you. Just, tone the excitement down Cas, Dean relies on the flight more than the fight instinct,” the younger Winchester warned.

“I promise to be calm around him. I still can’t believe I didn’t know you have a brother who lives around here. What is he like,” the witch asked curiously.

There was a soft smile on Sam’s face, his admiration for his brother obvious, “Dean, he’s the best big brother a person could ask for. He was the one to raise me when our parents died. He was seventeen and I was thirteen. He got a job working at Bobby’s garage so that he could afford a small apartment for the two of us. He would never take charity no matter who offered it. He’s rough around the edges but once you get past that, he’s funny, caring, loyal, he’s just an all-around great guy.”

“Why doesn’t he still work at the garage?”

“He does every once in a while but after he came into his familiar form at twenty-two, he became a recluse especially after a witch partially bonded with him and then broke it,” the familiar explained, his voice almost at a whisper near the end.

“Who would do such a thing?”

“Her name was Lisa and she was a piece of work, but we don’t really like to talk about her for obvious reasons. Dean is actually the same age as you and even though he’s only had his familiar form for three years, he’s powerful, even more than me,” the younger Winchester admitted.

“But you’ve had your other form since you were sixteen, that’s impressive that he’s so strong and awful that’s he been hurt so badly for being so young,” Cas commented sadly.

Before Sam could reply, the roar of a car’s engine could be heard. They all stood up to meet their guest. As Cas opened the door, he was stunned to see a huge black beast of a car parked in his driveway. It wasn’t the car that shocked him, it was the fact of where it was. As powerful as his wards were, there was no way Dean should have been able to get through them and especially without his wards warning him. Just who was this mysterious familiar?

The younger Novak lost his breath at the man who got out of the car. He was the most exquisite specimen of a male form Cas had ever seen. He was tall, taller than Cas’ own six-foot frame. As the witch’s eyes perused over the man, he took in the familiar’s features: short, dirty blonde hair, wide shoulders, firm stomach, slim waist, and bowlegs. His skin was kissed with hundreds of freckles and the only thing Cas couldn’t make out, were the man’s eyes which were currently hid behind a pair of dark red sunglasses.

The man shut the door of his car before sauntering up the driveway to the front door. Sam walked out to meet him, and they embraced, the love for each other obvious. When they broke apart, they turned to face the two witches.

“Cas, this is my brother Dean. Dean, this is Gabe’s brother Cas,” Sam introduced them.

Dean held his hand out to shake and Cas reached out before remembering his magic sparks, but it was too late. Dean grasped his hand in a firm shake. The witch waited for the familiar to be stunned from the strength of his magic, but nothing happened. He watched the man’s eyebrows shoot up but otherwise he kept the easy smile on his face.

It seemed Cas was the more affected of the two. When his hand encountered Dean’s, for the first time in his life, his head went silent. For as long as the witch could remember, his magic had been a constant noise, like the sound of waves slowly lapping against the shore. Just like the waves, his magic would crescendo as his power escalated and would quiet down when his magic settled back to normal.

The witch was broken from his trance where he heard someone clearing his throat. He looked up into the glasses of the older Winchester and realized he was still holding onto the man’s hand. He dropped it, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry. That was rude of me,” the witch stammered.

The blonde familiar let out a low chuckle, “It’s fine. Obviously, you were distracted by something.”

Cas chewed his lip nervously before admitting, “It’s just when we touched, you made my magic go silent. I haven’t had a truly quiet mind since I was a little kid. I didn’t realize how nice it could be.”

The man quirked his lips in amusement, “I’m glad I was able to offer you a small reprise. We can continue to touch if you want.”

The witch desperately wanted to take him up on the offer but, “I would like to, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” The man frowned and Cas hurried to reassure him, “It’s not because of you or anything. I just don’t want to get used to it and then you and I not be compatible and…and uh.”

Dean grinned, “I get it. The offer still stands if you want a break from all the noise.”

Cas nodded his head, smiling in appreciation as he turned and walked into his house, his three guests following. They all settled around his kitchen table once more.

“Dean, there is coffee if you would like some. It should still be hot,” the younger witch offered.

“Thanks, if not, I’m sure you could warm it up for me,” the familiar said with a wink.

Cas shook his head, “No, I couldn’t, Gabe could but I couldn’t.”

Dean narrowed his eyes in confusion, “Sam said you were powerful so how could you not heat up a little cup of coffee?”

The raven dropped his eyes in shame, “It’s not that I can’t, I’ve been able to do simple magic like that since before I could walk. It’s that if I did, I’d probably set this whole kitchen on fire. I tried turning my coffee pot on earlier and every appliance and the sink turned on. I don’t really have control of it anymore.”

The silence in the kitchen was deafening. No one said a word. Dean took the seat next to Cas and sat his cup on the table.

He reached out and slowly grasped the young witch’s chin in his fingers, forcing the man to look at him. “Cas, I wanna try something but only if you’re willing.”

The man chewed his lips as nervousness spread throughout his body, “What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I want us to be touching and then I want you to try and heat my coffee up,” the familiar explained.

Cas jerked his head back, fear creeping into his eyes, “No, I just told you I can’t, my magic is to uncontrollable.”

Dean gave the man a small smile, hoping to soothe him, “Hey, that’s what I’m here for right? That’s the purpose of a familiar is to help subdue your magic to a more manageable level.”

The witch shook his head vehemently, “You don’t understand Dean. No familiar I’ve come across can contain it. I’ve nearly killed familiars when they tried to tame it and it was doing an even simpler spell than this. I won’t hurt you.”

Dean looked to the other people in the room, “Gabe, Sam, would it be ok if you guys head home? I would like to be alone with Cas.”

Both men were shocked at the request but acquiesced and saw themselves out. Once they had left, Dean turned back to the witch. “Ok, why don’t you tell me what’s got you so scared?”

“It’s my magic Dean!” He held his hands up, the sparks still there and light still moving through them like lightening, “Look at this, have you ever seen magic this tangible? I’m not just powerful, I’m dangerous. A few weeks ago, I turned a rain shower into a flood and got three people killed. What if you can’t contain it?”

Dean smirked, “What if I can? Cas, I’m strong, stronger than Sam, stronger than any familiar I’ve ever met. When I touched you earlier, I could feel your magic simmering just beneath your skin. It didn’t hurt or burn though. It felt exquisite, almost like a massage. I’ve never felt anything like that before. So, please just try for me.”

“What if it doesn’t work,” the witch asked, close to tears.

“What if it does,” the familiar countered.

Cas stared at the man, fear obvious in his eyes as he held his hand out, waiting for the blonde to take it. As soon as their skin touched, Cas’ mind went quiet, but he could still feel his magic pulsing through his very blood. The witch concentrated on the cup in front of him, wanting to heat it until he could see steam rising from it. He let his magic flow through him and out, praying that nothing heated up except the coffee.

At the last second, he closed his eyes, unable to see his failure. He waited to hear Dean cry out in pain from being burned by Cas’ magic or for him to cry out in shock as the kitchen went up in flames. The witch jerked when Dean squeezed his hand, causing his eyes to fly open.

His kitchen was completely unharmed, the man next to him was smiling, and the cup in front of him had steam lazily rising from the surface. He stared at the cup in amazement, the joy on his face equivalent to that of a youngster who just did their first magic spell. He looked up at the familiar, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Told ya you could do it,” the man commented.

Cas was so overjoyed; he didn’t even think as he jumped out his chair and enveloped the blonde in a hug. He could feel tears falling down his face and staining Dean’s shirt, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had done magic and it hadn’t backfired on him.

“Thank you,” he said on repeat.

Dean chuckled as he gently pushed the man back so they could see each other’s face, “It’s my pleasure. I’m glad I was able to help.” He paused before continuing, “You are definitely something though, even with simple magic like that, I could feel the power emanating of you.”

Cas sat back in his own chair, rubbing his arms in agitation, “I did my first spell when I was barely a year old, accidental magic of course, but magic none the less. My abilities have only grown from there. By the time I was five, I was practicing middle level magic that most teens had just begun. When I was thirteen, I graduated from magic training, already looking for a mentor to advance my studies. When I was eighteen, my mentor said there was nothing else he could teach me. I started doing my own research, finding older and more archaic spells to practice just to have a challenge.”

“Damn Cas, I can’t imagine what it must have been like growing up with that kind of ability,” the familiar replied as he took a sip of his coffee.

The witch sighed, “It was awful. Gabe was the only one who would talk to me because the kids my age were afraid of me and the kids older than me were jealous of my innate ability. Even most adults shunned me, furious that a child had more ability than they did. I was kicked out the coven when I turned twenty-one and my magic came into it’s full potential. I’m an elemental witch as I’m sure you figured by now.”

Dean nodded sitting his cup down, “Yeah I did but you’re not attuned to just one element. You got a connection with all of them. I saw your magic sparks, there are blue for water, red for fire, green for earth, and the white for air.”

Cas nodded solemnly, “Yes and the day I came of age, there was awful weather. There were horrible rainstorms and the winds got so high, a tornado touched down a few miles from the town. I was already barely able to contain my magic as it was but once it came into full power, it fed the tornado, causing it to grow nearly double its size. A large part of the town got destroyed because of it. They kicked me out without a second thought. I tried to convince Gabe to stay but he refused to let me leave on my own. That was four years ago.”

They sat there in silence when finally, Dean reached out and grasped one of Cas’ hands which were still rubbing up his arm. The witch quit his moving and looked at the other man. “Your coven was wrong to kick you out. They should have tried to help you, tried to anchor you or something.”

The witch snorted, “They wanted a reason to kick me out anyways. I don’t miss them, so I never really cared.”

“You know, you’re not the only one who is powerful but dangerous,” the familiar said softly.

“Sam told me that you’ve been hurt in your past because witches have used you for your power but never intended to bond with you. I can’t understand why though, how are you dangerous? You’ve done nothing but help me since you arrived,” the with replied, tilting his head in confusion.

Dean took a deep breath before asking, “Did you wonder why I was wearing the glasses?”

Cas shrugged, “I did but you came here to help me, so I figured it best not to chastise you. The thought that you were blind crossed my mind but obviously you couldn’t be driving if that’s the case, so I dismissed that thought immediately.”

The familiar barked out a laugh, “I’m not blind Cas, though I wish I was.”

The raven gasped, “Why would you wish such a thing?”

Dean slumped, looking defeated, “I wouldn’t have to worry about hurting anybody. There’s a reason no witch has ever wanted to bond with me. My familiar form is…it’s not good Cas.”

“Can I see it,” the witch asked quietly.

The blonde shrugged, “Might as well, no sense in dragging this out when it’s going to end like it always does.”

“Dean, I would never judge you for your animal form and witches who do, well they don’t matter anyway,” Cas said, trying to comfort the distraught man.

“Yeah, well, why don’t we go outside, I’ll be closer to my car that way,” the familiar replied as he got up from his seat and headed towards the door.

Cas followed silently, trying to figure out what familiar form could be so dangerous that multiple witches would turn down a mythic familiar such as Dean. From what the raven-haired witch had seen, this familiar was one of the nicest and most thoughtful people he had ever met. He couldn’t fathom why he was still unbonded.

Once outside, Dean walked to the middle of the yard. He turned to face Cas and asked an odd request, “Close your eyes and don’t open them until I say so.”

The witch cocked his head slightly but did as was asked. He felt the pulse of magic as Dean shifted from human to animal. He listened for the falls of feet but only heard the sound of something sliding across the ground, maybe his tail the witch thought. He suddenly felt something scaly touch his hand. He flinched but otherwise remained still, keeping his eyes shut as asked.

_“You can open your eyes now Cas,”_ the familiar muttered telepathically, this form of communication only possible because they were touching. If they were to bond, they would able to communicate without the need for touch.

The witch slowly opened his eyes and gasped. “Dean, you’re magnificent,” the man said in awe of the creature before him.

Curled in front of him was a giant snake, at least ten feet long with a girth of close to a foot or more. The creature’s back and side were covered in thousands of bright emerald green scales while the belly was a deep golden color. Starting in the middle of the forehead and running to the base of the neck and then starting again at his shoulder blades was a magnificent sail, matching the color of the belly scales, and ran about two-thirds of the way down Dean’s body. Adorning the serpent’s head, starting about half a foot behind his eye, large golden horns pointed straight behind his head. The last thing Cas could see where a pair of wings tucked closely to his back. The scales covering the bones of the wings were green while the thin membrane between them were a pale tan.

“Dean, why would anybody shun you? I’ve seen Sam’s dragon and he pales in comparison to you! You are absolutely stunning,” the witch announced, his voice full of wonder.

The snake shook his head, unable to believe the man, _“Don’t lie to me Cas just to save face.”_

The witch looked down to lock eyes with the beast but found the creature’s eyes squeezed shut, “Dean, look at me so you can see the truth of my words.”

The serpent shook his head again, _“I can’t Cas, you must know that.”_

The raven cocked his eyes, his eyes narrowed in confusion, “Why would I know that you can’t open your eyes?”

_“Because of what I am,”_ the familiar replied, his voice full of sorrow.

“Dean, I’m sorry to say but my knowledge of mythical beasts is limited to only the most common, dragons and unicorns and such,” the witch replied sheepishly.

_“You really have no idea what I am,”_ the serpent asked incredulously.

“I’m afraid not. Care to enlighten me?”

_“I’m a basilisk,”_ Dean answered bitterly.

“You look remotely like the creature from Harry Potter but other than being a giant snake, the two of you are quite different,” the witch retorted.

He could hear the sound of Dean’s laughter inside his head before, _“There’s lots of interpretations of what a basilisk can look like. Some of them being that of a chicken and snake being mashed together.”_

Cas wrinkled his nose, “That doesn’t sound very pleasant. I think this form looks amazing.”

_“If I only had to deal with what I looked like, I would be okay with that but it’s the abilities of a basilisk that make people shun me,”_ Dean explained quietly.

Cas was silent as he tried to remember what limited information he knew of the creature, all of his knowledge based on a young adult fantasy book. “The basilisk was the king of serpents, spiders were petrified of it, the crow of a rooster could kill it, it’s reflection could paralyze someone, and if you looked in its eyes directly, its gaze would kill,” the man listed as he remembered.

Dean’s whole body sagged in defeat, _“Exactly, what kind of witch wants to be bonded to a creature that can kill them?”_

“Will your gaze actually kill someone,” the witch asked.

_“You really think I know?”_

“Then why are you so afraid?”

_“Because, I know my reflection can paralyze. Sam and I discovered that real quick. He’s a big nerd and I’m the first basilisk familiar ever recorded so he started reading up on the lore of them. We tried the whole reflection thing and one antiparalysis potion later, we realized at least some of the lore was true. After that, I refused to look anything in the eye; it was too much of a risk,”_ the blonde finished his tale with a whisper.

“Ok, but why do you wear the sunglasses when you’re human,” the witch asked curiously.

_“We found out that even as a human, my gaze was still deadly. The glasses I wear are imbued with strong magic and prevent my gaze from harming others. When I’m in this form, I can’t exactly wear them.”_

Cas was smiling, not that Dean could see. “Well, it seems all my long nights reading through ancient texts will come in handy.”

_“Why’s that?”_

“I know a way to make your gaze harmless,” the witch said simply.

Cas jumped back in surprise when the great head rose rapidly through the air in shock. He covered his eyes in case Dean opened his own caught up in his surprise. He waited for the large head to rest under his hand again.

_“How, how in the world could you render my stare harmless,”_ the familiar asked in astonishment.

“It’s an old alchemy journal I came across. You actually aren’t the first basilisk familiar ever recorded but the second. Although, in the journal, the witch never described the look of the creature which is why I didn’t recognize you right away. Anyway, with a few rather simple ingredients, I can make a potion that if taken daily, renders your gaze powerless,” the witch explained as he slowly stroked the scaly head.

Suddenly the snake was gone, and Dean stood in his human form once more. He reached out and wrapped a hand around each of Cas’ arms. He stared straight at the man; disbelief was written clearly on his face.

“Can you really do it? Please, don’t be lying to me. Not this, anything but this,” his voice broke as a tear slid down his cheek.

Cas reached out and cupped the blonde’s face, “I would never lie about something so important. There are two ingredients though that are not easy to come by, the rest, well between Gabe and I, we have them all.”

Excitement was obvious as the familiar asked, “Ok, what ingredients don’t you have?”

“Well, apparently to make a potion that renders a basilisk’s gaze useless, you need the venom of the basilisk.”

“Ok, that shouldn’t be a problem. Just milk some venom from my fangs. What’s the other one?”

“We need the scales of a dragon,” Cas said point blank.

“Oh,” the man replied, his happiness deflating.

“Exactly, Sam shed his scales a few weeks ago and I have no idea if Gabe kept any. Otherwise, we will have to wait until next year to start making the potion when Sam goes through his annual molt,” the witch said sadly.

“Well, let’s call my brother and see. No sense in getting upset until we know there is something to get upset about,” the blonde said optimistically.

Cas smiled, “You’re right. I have my phone on me, I’ll call.”

He dialed his brother and waited for the other witch to pickup, “Hey Cas, everything ok?”

“Everything is great. I have a question to ask you.”

“Fire away.”

“Did you happen to save any scales from Sam’s last shed?”

“That’s a pretty random question Cas, why you need the scales of my familiar,” the older brother asked skeptically.

“Dean showed me his familiar form,” the raven admitted.

“He did what,” Gabe said, voice full of surprise.

“You heard what I said. Anyway, I actually came across a potion in one of my late-night readings that could make Dean’s look completely harmless but one of the ingredients are the scales of a dragon,” the witch explained.

“How many scales?”

“Three scales per batch and one batch is enough to last a month. I know a dragon familiar’s scales are sacred especially since dragons have been killed for their scales to be used in potions but I’m not some black-market witch, I’m your brother and it’s Dean,” Cas begged.

“You let anyone get ahold of them Cas and I will never trust you again. You know how much I guard Sam’s familiar form, not wanting to risk it getting out. If someone sees you have dragon scales, they will get suspicious,” the older Novak warned.

Cas threw his hand up in exasperation, “Who the hell am I going to tell Gabe? You’re the only person who comes to my house. Hell, all the stuff I make and sell, you come and get. I don’t ever leave my house except to get groceries and such. I promise, no one is going to find out.”

“I’ll be over tomorrow with the scales. I’ve got to go, brewing a potion and can’t leave it sitting alone for too long. Bye Cas.”

“Goodbye Gabe.”

The witch slipped his phone back in his pocket before looking at Dean. The man looked at him expectantly almost look an eager puppy.

“Well, what did he say?”

Cas sighed, “He said he’ll bring some scales by tomorrow.”

The familiar’s face broke into a huge smile, wrinkles forming at the corners of his mouth, “That’s amazing. I don’t know what to say, this, this could change my life.”

The witch returned the smile, “I hope it does. Now, how are we going to get your venom? I’ve never exactly extracted the venom from a snake before?”

“You got a computer? We could go research it,” the blonde suggested.

Cas nodded and they headed inside, a little pep in both their steps. Fifteen minutes later and they had a pretty good idea on what to do.

“There’s just one problem though, Dean,” the witch said out loud.

“What’s that?”

“Well, I don’t think there’s a jar large enough that you could bite on, you’re massive in your familiar form,” the witch said worriedly.

Dean chuckled, “That’s actually not the largest I can get.”

Cas cocked an eyebrow, “What?”

Dean hastened to explain, “Well, I can control how big or small I can get. I can get as small as about seven inches and as large as sixty feet or so.”

“That’s amazing and very useful. I have all the supplies then, do you want to give this a try?”

The blonde lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck nervously, “I do but I have to keep my eyes closed once I’m in my other form, how am I going to be able to see?”

“Do you trust me Dean,” Cas asked his body as open and earnest as possible.

The familiar smiled, “Yeah, I do even though I just met you.”

“Ok, let me get the jar set up and we will do this.”

A few minutes later, Cas sat a jar with a thick layer of plastic wrap covering the top of it. He had wrapped tape around the top of the jar to ensure the plastic wrap didn’t come off.

He turned around so he could face Dean, “Alright, when you shift, could you make yourself about two to three feet long that way you will fit on the table comfortably.”

Dean nodded before asking, “Close your eyes again?”

Once his eyes were firmly shut, Dean shifted before wrapping around Cas’ ankle, a much smaller version of himself from earlier.

_“Alright, Cas, you can open your eyes now.”_

Cas smiled as he looked down. He bent over and gently wrapped his hands around the serpent. Dean let go of his ankle easily so that the witch could sit him on the table making sure to still stay in contact with one another. Cas moved the jar closer so that it was only a few inches in front of the snake’s face.

“Even this small, you are still breathtaking to look at. Then again, the most beautiful is the most dangerous,” the witch commented absentmindedly.

_“You really don’t mind me being some venomous serpent with a deadly gaze do you,”_ the familiar asked unable to believe it.

Cas stroked a hand down the body gently, “I truly do not. While I can understand the fear others might have, that’s no excuse for the way they treated you. You can’t help what you were born Dean.”

_“You know that sentiment goes both way Cas,”_ the familiar said softly.

Cas paused for a moment before ignoring the comment and saying, “Alright, the jar is sitting right in front of you. I’ll hold it still so you can’t knock it over.”

Cas grabbed hold of the jar and waited for the snake to bite down on it. Dean nudged at the jar and attempted to bite but could never get the right angle for his fangs to pierce the plastic.

_“Cas, I’m gonna need your help. You’re going to have to place my head properly.”_

“Dean, I don’t want to hurt you,” the witch cautioned.

He got the picture of an eye roll, _“You won’t. Just position my head so that my fangs are where they should be. You don’t have to squeeze since I’m willingly opening my mouth for you.”_

To emphasize his point, the serpent held his mouth open, his fangs glistening in the light of the kitchen. Cas held the jar up and slowly placed it at the tip of the snake’s fangs. He lightly pressed on the top of Dean’s head and the snake struck through the plastic. The witch started to gently massage the top of the familiar’s head, helping to stimulate his venom production. He watched as dark brown drops slid from the fangs into the jar.

“Are you comfortable,” the witch concerned.

_“It’s not the least comfortable thing I’ve ever done. How much venom do we need for the potion?”_

“I can’t remember the exact amount. We will see once this is done.”

_“So, you can remember the amount of scales needed but not how much venom you have to milk from me,”_ the familiar grumbled.

The witch rolled his eyes, “Oh quit whining. The venom has already slowed down. A few more seconds and we should have all we’re going to get for the day.”

As Cas had predicted, ten seconds later and the last drop slid down the side of the jar. He carefully removed it from Dean’s fangs and sat it down on the table. He watched as the serpent stretched his jaws, extending his fangs to their full length before closing his moths, his fangs tucked safely away.

_“Want to set me back on the ground so I can shift back unless you want me stretched across your table,”_ the familiar joked.

Cas smiled before letting Dean slither into his palms and placing him onto the ground. In the blink of an eye, a man stood where the snake once was. The man adjusted his glassed before looking at the jar.

“Hmm, more in there than I thought there would be. I wonder if I was bigger if I would produce more,” Das questioned as he looked at Cas.

He shrugged his shoulders, “It’s a theory we could test later but we would need to find a bigger jar especially if you were to grow to your largest size. At sixty feet, you would only get part of one fang inside that jar.”

Dean nodded in agreement, “True that. Alright, lets go find that spell book and check out this ingredients list.”

The witch grinned at the man’s enthusiasm before leading him to the room he dedicated as his workshop. As they crossed through the threshold, Cas could feel the extra protection charms letting him pass. It seemed Dean could as well.

“Woah, dude, you got serious mojo going on in here, any reason why,” he asked inquisitively.

Cas went to the bookshelf and pulled a very large and very ancient book off the shelf. He sat it carefully on the table, not wanting any harm to come to it. He straightened back up and glanced at the familiar. “This is my workshop. I don’t want anybody being able to come in here without my permission. Not even Gabe can come in here without me modifying the wards.”

Dean pursed his lips before asking, “Did you have to modify them when I came in?”

The witch jerked his head up and narrowed his eyes, “No, I didn’t. It’s not the first time you’ve been able to come through my wards though.”

“What?”

Cas chewed on his lip before answering, “You should not have been able to drive through my wards without me having to let you in and yet, you went through them as if they weren’t even there.”

Dean cocked a smile, “So, your magic likes me huh?”

The raven huffed as he replied, “It appears so.” He opened the book and leafed through the pages until he came to the proper potion. “Ah, here it is, the Exprobrandum Mortiferum Serpens Oculis potion.”

“Holy shit, try saying that five times fast,” the blonde joked.

Cas glared, unimpressed, “It literally translates to defy deadly serpent gaze and if it works, I don’t think you will care how it’s pronounced.”

Dean shrugged, “True that. So, what all is needed?”

The witch read the list and he had been right, besides the scales and venom, the ingredients were fairly common and Cas had all but three of them. He texted Gabe and asked him to bring them over with him tomorrow. He read over the potion and how to mix it and frowned.

“What’s wrong Cas,” Dean asked noticing the facial expression.

The witch rubbed at his chin in concentration, “While the ingredients for this potion are simple, the way to prepare and brew it is not. I am going to need Gabe’s help in preparing it the first time to make sure I don’t mess it up.”

“So, the all-powerful witch can’t brew potions, huh,” the blonde quipped.

Cas scowled, “I can brew some fairly advanced potions Dean but as I told you earlier, I am an elemental witch and therefore my strengths are more aligned with nature and the weather. My brother is an alchemist and therefore more skilled in that area but between the two of us, I am still more powerful.”

Cas’ emotions were boiling beneath the surface, furious as the familiar’s implication. He could feel his magic simmering when suddenly it lashed out, beakers erupting and shattering. The witch watched in horror as his magic’s sparks reappeared and were larger than before, this time crackling like a fire. He jumped when he heard more bottles shatter. The noise inside of his head had crescendoed into a cacophony of sound that he couldn’t quiet down.

He flashed his eyes to Dean in horror as his magic continued to explode. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his power under control. He slammed his hands over his ears, the noise becoming almost unbearable. His cry of pain filled the room as he fell to the floor.

As quick as it all began, it ended the instant Dean laid a gentle hand on his arm. The sound in his head stopped, the bottles quit shattering, and his magic receded to a gentle hum. He was panting heavily as if he had just run a marathon.

“Cas, hey, it’s ok, just breathe. Everything is alright. I’m sorry, I never meant for you to think I was insulting you; it was just a joke. From the moment I met you, I’ve never doubted your power,” the blonde said trying to soothe the shaking man.

Cas looked up, Dean’s face blurry as a few tears fell from his eyes. He dropped his head in shame, “I’m sorry Dean, I didn’t mean to overreact. I’m afraid sarcasm has never went over with me well. I was picked on so much growing up that I just assumed that everything was literal because otherwise there were too many jokes about me behind my back.”

Dean sat down next to the man and pulled him close to his side before wrapping an arm around his waist and forcing Cas to rest his head on the familiar’s shoulder, “I’m sorry, I promise to be as straightforward with you but I’ll be honest, about seventy-five of my personality is sarcasm.”

The witch smiled weakly, “It’s fine Dean. Maybe we can figure something out, so I know when you’re joking versus when you’re serious.”

“You plan on keeping me around that long Cas,” the man said softly.

Cas panicked, “I just meant for us to be able to communicate better in the time that we are around one another. I mean our brothers are bonded and it’s likely we will see more of each other in the future, so I just thought…”

Dean chuckled, “It’s ok Cas, we’ll take it step by step, but I have to say, I do like being around you and not just because I like the way your magic feels. You’re a pretty cool guy and you’ve done more for me than most people I’ve met.”

The witch blushed at the praise, “I like being around you too and not just because you calm my magic. You’re, uh, pretty cool too.”

Dean nodded, a smile on his face, “Alright so, this potion?”

“Oh yes, can you hand me the book, I don’t really feel like getting up at the moment,” the witch asked, his cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

The blonde winked before replying, “Of course, whatever the with wants the witch gets.” At Cas’ confused look, “Kidding Cas, I like it down here better anyway.”

The blonde grabbed the book, being careful with it, as he handed it to the witch. Cas read over the instructions to brew the potion, Dean looking over his shoulder.

“Gabe will definitely have to help me; his brewing skills are superior to mine and I’ve never brewed a potion this complicated. It’s not a quick brew either, it will take ten days to prepare but it will be a large enough batch to last us a month so that’s a good thing. I’m sorry I won’t be able to get it to you sooner,” the witch said softly.

“It’s ok, the fact that you even knew of this potion and will help me in the long run, is more than enough. I’ve dealt with this for years, what’s a few more days gonna be,” the man asked with a smile.

Cas blushed again, “Well, hopefully Gabe will be up for the task for the first few times. I should be able to get the hang of it after a few brews.”

“Gabe and I get along pretty well; I don’t think he will mind too much besides he’s like a kid on Christmas when he gets the chance to brew something new. Him and Sam are such nerds, it’s ridiculous,” the familiar laughed as he thought about the two.

Cas stood up and placed the book back on the table, “That is true. I’ve becoming jealous of his ability to still use his magic as he wants.” The witch looked down at his hands, the sparks ever present, “I’ve barely used mine since the storm and after the fiasco in my kitchen this morning, I’m afraid to do any magic at all. I really am quite fond of this house; I’d hate to see it destroyed.”

Dean stood and reached and placed his hand against Cas’, their touch perfectly aligned. The witch watched in awe as the familiar’s magic rose to meet his own. Gold and green sparks appeared between his fingers before seeking out Cas’ own and bonding with them. With each little piece of the witch’s magic that bonded with the familiar’s own, Cas felt more at peace.

“What if I stayed with you until this potion is brewed? That way we can see if we’re compatible in more than just magic,” the familiar suggested.

Cas’s eyes shot up, looking at the sunglasses that covered Dean’s eyes, wishing he could see their true color, “Dean, are you sure?”

“Well, Sam called me over in the first place because his witch’s brother is insanely powerful and needs a familiar to help balance him out and he thought we might be a good match. So, let’s see if he’s right,” the blonde said with a cocky grin plastered on his face.

Cas gave small laugh, “You’re going to be insufferable, aren’t you?”

Dean winked while making a clicking sound, “That’s the other twenty-five percent of my personality. So, what do you say? Want to see if more than just our magic is compatible?”

The witch tilted his head, “I feel like that is a euphemism for something.”

The familiar burst out laughing, “Only you want it to be Cas but for now, how about we just be friends?”

“Yes, I would like that… a lot,” the raven blushed.


	2. Bonded for Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The potion for Dean gets brewed but what happens when Dean learns of Cas' secret about his impending death? Will they be able to fix their problems in time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second half of this story. I hope you guys like it!

The next day, Gabe and Sam arrived a little after noon. Cas showed him the potion and the blonde witch read over the paper twice before looking at his brother, “It’s difficult but not impossible. It’d tedious for sure but doable. For future references, this potion will have a fairly long shelf life so we could each brew a batch at once to make it last longer. The potion could also be doubled up and we could brew a bigger batch at once to make it last longer.”

“That’s good to know. It would be nice to not have to brew this every month,” Cas commented. He looked over at Dean and saw the familiar frown, “But, if it had to be that way, I wouldn’t mind if Dean was able to not have to worry anymore.”

The familiar mouthed a “thank you” at him and Cas bowed his head in reply quickly before looking at his brother.

Gabe frowned, “It’s time consuming too, it will require us to spend upwards of ten hours a day in here to make it. Are you up for that?”

Cas glanced at Dean before looking back at his brother, “Like I said, if it means Dean gets to have freedom from this, then I will do it.”

“Cas, you hardly know me, I can’t ask you to give this much of your time up just for me,” the blonde familiar interrupted.

The witch turned so he could face the man, “Dean, you’re family. That’s what family does for one another; they sacrifice.”

Dean moved forward until he could pull Cas in for a tight hug. “Thank you,” he whispered in the man’s ear.

“You’re welcome,” Cas replied.

Gabe rubbed his hands together, a gleeful smile on his face, “Alright let’s get this shindig on the road. Sammykins, I’m gonna need your help.”

The younger Winchester rolled his eyes, “I told you not to call me that.”

“Aww, I can call you by your other nickname if you want,” the witch said with an eye wiggle.

The tall familiar blushed beet red, “Uh, Sammykins is fine Gabe. Now, what do you need?”

Gabe started giving out orders, the master confident in his domain even if he was in Cas’ workshop. While he got the cauldron ready for brewing, he had Sam, Dean, and Cas preparing the ingredients.

One of the ingredients Cas needed to prepare would require him to use his magic. He turned to Dean, rubbing his arm nervously, “Uh, Dean?”

The familiar looked up from his own pile of ingredients, “What you need Cas?”

“Well, I will need to use my magic to extract the dew from these flowers and I uh,” the man stuttered.

“Cas, if you need my help, just ask. That’s what I’m here for remember,” the man reminded as he moved closer to the witch.

“I just don’t want to overstep my boundaries Dean,” the younger Novak replied.

“Cas, if we end up bonding, you’re not going to have to ask,” the familiar chuckled as he lightly placed a hand atop Cas’.

“Well, we aren’t bonded yet and I won’t take without asking,” the witch said with a firm finality.

“Alright sunshine, what do you need help with?”

“The magic is easy, I just need you to make sure I don’t blow something up,” the witch commented absentmindedly as he held his hand out, waiting for Dean to take it. Once they were touching, Cas focused his magic into the flower and slowly started extracting the dew from it. They watched as the pearly liquid flowed from the flower and into the small vial the witch had sitting on the table.

Once all the dew had been pulled from the flower, Cas let the magic stop. He waited for Dean to pull away, but he kept a loose hold of Cas’ hand. He was coming to crave the familiar’s touch.

“Too bad we can’t just work one handed, huh,” the blonde quipped.

“If we worked together, me using my magic and you helping to control it, we could finish this in no time at all,” the witch suggested as he stared at the table.

“Let’s do it, then,” Dean replied happily.

Cas had been right, with them working together, an hour’s worth of work turned into twenty minute’s worth. After all the ingredients were prepared, Gabe started brewing. A he brewed, he would add the ingredients as needed and mutter the incantations required. Sam made sure to always keep some point of contact between the two of them. Touch between a witch and familiar always made the witch’s magic that much stronger and Gabe would need all the strength he could get.

Dean and Cas left them to their work, not needed at the moment and headed outside to sit on the front porch. They settled into the swing, Dean grabbing the man’s hand without even thinking. Cas looked over, a small smile on his face but didn’t comment.

Dean looked around him, taking in Cas’ home for the first time. The yard was well manicured with multiple bird baths placed in the grass. A cobblestone path led from the driveway to the front door. Bordering the porch and the whole house, were different flower bushes and planted in front of the bushes were dozens of flowerbeds with flowers of all kinds. Dean had caught glimpses of the witch’s backyard and it was magnificent. A large pond fed by a small waterfall surrounded by hundreds of flowers, bushes, and trees filled the backyard. A small patio was nestled among the foliage for Cas to sit out and just enjoy the serenity.

“Your place if beautiful Cas, I’ve never seen anywhere like it,” the familiar complimented the witch.

“Thank you, Dean, it was an outlet for my magic. Almost all the flowers were just random surprises that grew when I let my magic loose. I couldn’t even think about doing that now, I’d probably end up growing a forest if I was to let my magic do what it wanted,” the witch commented sadly.

Dean gave a tight squeeze to the other man’s hand, “Not now, it wouldn’t. Is there anything you would like to do?”

Cas thought for a second, “They could all use a good watering and the pond needs to be cleaned out. They are trivial tasks though; if you don’t want to expend yourself for it, I understand.”

“Cas, what did I say earlier about my help,” the familiar chided.

“That I didn’t need to ask, you would be willing to help,” the man responded.

“Exactly.”

The raven sighed, “Alright then, let’s start with the front yard and work our way to the back. Might as well clean the bird baths while we’re at it.”

They spent the next hour cleaning and watering. Dean watched as Cas used his magic to call a small rain cloud down to him and then had it move along the flowerbeds and bushes, drenching the plants with water. Cleaning the bird baths was accomplished with a flick of the witch’s wrist.

The pond took a little longer since there were dozens of large koi fish housed inside of it. To accomplish cleaning the pond, Cas had to encase each fish in its own little water bubble and left them to float above the pond while he evaporated the dirty water and cleaned the pond out before refilling it with sparkling clean water. He then placed the koi back inside one by one.

Once done, Dean settled back on the swing while Cas went inside to get some lemonade before joining the blonde. He handed Dean his glass before settling back on the swing. Once again, Dean entwined their fingers. They sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence until Gabe and Sam appeared.

“How’s the potion going,” Dean asked as the two men settled into the chair opposite them.

Sam sat before pulling his witch into his lap. “Not too bad, but this part of the potion was the easy part. The next few parts are gonna be the tough stuff. You might want to stay and watch Cas if you’re gonna brew this potion from now on.”

“I will. Dean was just helping me water the plants and clean the pond out. I figured I would give you guys some peace while you worked. Everything you had to do so far, I could do on my own so no since hanging around,” the witch said nonchalantly as he waved his hand.

Dean watched the witch, knowing he was doing magic since he could feel the pull on his own magic; he just couldn’t figure out what the raven was up to. He found out when the door opened, and two glasses of lemonade filled with ice floated through the air and stopped in front of Gabe and Sam.

The two men grabbed the glasses and took long sips of the sweet drink. Dean looked at Cas, wonder in his eyes. “How did you do that? I’ve never seen a witch perform magic on an object they can’t see.”

Cas shrugged, “It’s just a simple manipulation of air currents to maneuver the objects. I can’t see the objects, but I can feel them using the air. I imagine it’s similar to how as a snake, even with your eyes closed you know what’s around you by flicking your tongue out and tasting the scents present in the spaces around you.”

Dean huffed, “You’re pretty amazing you know that?”

The witch looked down, pink spreading across his cheeks, “You’re one of the few who think so. Most people just think I’m dangerous and need to be dealt with.”

“Yeah, well you’re one of the only witches I’ve met who doesn’t look at me with fear or disgust. One witch even tried to blind me just so that she could keep me around and use me,” the blonde admitted.

“Yeah, well Lisa was a bitch Dean. What kind of witch half binds a familiar to them,” Sam replied, hatred laced through his words.

The older Winchester shrugged, “She didn’t get away with her plan, so it doesn’t matter.”

Sam started to say something but with a shake of Gabe’s head, he kept his mouth shut. They sat outside for a few more minutes before Gabe checked his watch and said they had to go back to the potion. They spent the next week working on the potion with it taking up most of their time and energy. Gabe and Sam would arrive at different times of day depending on the requirements of the potion. Cas and Dean spent most of the day with them so that the younger Novak could watch his brother and learn how to brew the potion in the future.

Gabe and Sam would often stay for dinner before heading home, leaving Dean and Cas alone. At night, the two of them would clean up in the workroom and usually just relax on the couch with Dean showing Cas the pleasures of Netflix. The witch had had a TV for years but hardly ever used it, preferring to read a book in his garden. A couple of nights, the witch enjoyed the pleasure of his books while Dean shifted into his familiar form and lay curled in the man’s lap as they both enjoyed the beauty of the setting sun.

Around Cas, the man was learning to enjoy and accept his serpent form. The witch loved running his fingers along the smooth scales and tracing along the bones of his wings. One night as they were sitting outside and Cas traced patterns against the scales, he asked, “Are your wings strong enough for you to fly?”

The serpent looked up, his eyes wide in surprise at the question. The two had discovered that Dean’s glasses not only worked by Dean wearing them but also by others wearing them. So, when the familiar shifted into his snake form, Cas would put the glasses on so that Dean didn’t have to keep his eyes squeezed shut.

 _“They are but I haven’t flown in ages. Can’t really fly when I have to keep my eyes closed,”_ the familiar answered sadly.

“Why don’t you try now? My wards keep humans from seeing in so if you flew, they would be none the wiser.”

In response to the witch’s statement, the snake slithered off his lap and into the garden before growing from two feet long to six feet. Cas watched as he shook his head and stretched his wings out to the side while standing up as tall as he possibly could. The serpent had his back towards Cas and with his wings outstretched, the witch fully understood why basilisks were considered the king of snakes. Dean let out a deep hissing sound before flapping his wings a few times and launching into the sky. Cas stood up and walked to the edge of the porch so that he could see the familiar flying high in the sky. The only way Cas could describe the flight was that Dean looked like he was swimming through the air, his slim body undulating side to side as his powerful wings moved him through the sky. How any witch had ever looked at Dean and found him an abomination had truly never gotten to know the familiar.

The serpent flew for nearly half an hour twisting, turning, and gliding at his leisure. When he finally landed back on the ground, even though his eyes were serpentine, Cas could see how happy and free he felt. The witch walked over and stood directly in front of him. Dean stood so that they were the same height.

Cas reached out and placed a hand lightly on the snake’s jaw which fit comfortably in his palm. With them now touching again, the witch could feel how heavily Dean was panting, his heart beating loudly, pumping blood through his veins. The snake stretched his wings out before folding them along his back once more.

“That was stunning to watch, you move so gracefully through the air,” Cas complimented.

 _“Thanks, I didn’t realize how much I missed it. It’s exhilarating to be in the air and to just feel free,”_ the familiar replied, out of breath even in his mind.

“I wish I could feel like that, to feel free,” the witch said absentmindedly.

_“You could if you wanted. Like I said, I can grow upwards of sixty feet. At that size, I could carry you on my back with ease.”_

“You would do such a thing for me,” Cas asked in astonishment, his eyes going wide.

The snake nodded his head, _“Well, yeah. I mean, you’re doing so much for me Cas, the least I can do is find a way to repay you.”_

The raven rolled his eyes, “I told you, there is nothing to repay. I know what it’s like to live in fear Dean, if I can help it to where you never have to again, then I will.”

Dean blinked, _“How are you even real?”_

Cas shrugged, “I’m nothing special.” After a brief pause, “Are you ready to go in or did you want to stay outside some more?”

_“I’m up for either. We could finish that movie we started last night if you wanted.”_

“I’d like that very much although you’re going to take a shower before you curl up on my couch. I don’t want your sweat stinking it up,” the witch joked.

He could hear the snake’s laughter in his head, _“Was that a joke Cas? Are you actually joking now?”_

He smirked, “Maybe I am.” He started walking away. He looked over his shoulder, “You coming?”

The snake followed eagerly. Half an hour later and they were both curled on the couch, Cas leaning against the arm with Dean halfway in his lap. Over the past week, they had gotten more comfortable and closer with each other. The two were sharing a bowl of popcorn as they finished their movie from the previous night.

Once it was over, Dean sat up and stretched, glancing over at the witch. Cas was staring at him, hunger evident in his eyes. “Like what you see Cas,” the blonde smirked.

The witch dropped his eyes, a blush spreading across his cheek. He chewed on his lip, not wanting the familiar to see his embarrassment. He jumped when he felt a hand cup his cheek. He looked back up to see Dean staring at him, a smile gracing his features.

“Don’t hide those pretty eyes from me Cas,” the man said, his voice dropping a bitch lower.

“You don’t even know what color my eyes are Dean just like I don’t know yours,” the witch commented.

“It doesn’t mean your eyes aren’t beautiful. What color are they Cas?”

“They’re blue, nothing special. What about yours,” the witch asked eagerly.

“Green, a deep forest green. I’ve been told they’re very pretty,” the man replied with a cocky smile.

“All of you is pretty Dean,” the witch said without thinking. His eyes went wide when he realized what he said and he tried to run away but Dean grabbed his wrist, stopping him. Cas covered his face in embarrassment with his free hand, “I’m so sorry Dean. I don’t know where that came from.”

“Are you saying you don’t think I’m pretty because I think you’re gorgeous. Pretty just doesn’t do you justice,” the familiar admitted, his cheeks tinged pink.

“Well then, I don’t think you’re pretty,” the witch said shortly. He watched as a frown crossed Dean’s face and he quickly added, “I think you’re stunning.”

Dean smiled brightly and scooted closer to the witch. He slowly dragged his fingers from around the other man’s wrist, up his arm, until he could wrap his hand around the back of the other man’s neck. He used his other hand to cup Cas’ cheek, running his thumb gently back and forth across the rosy skin. He smiled as he felt Cas wrap an arm around his waist and the other hand nestled in the hair at the base of his beck.

They both leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. They stared straight at each other, eyes locked even through Dean’s glasses. Both were blushing and uncertain smiles plastered on their faces. They knew if they made the leap, their relationship would change. They wouldn’t just be witch and familiar, they would be something more.

Cas’ eyes flickered between the blonde’s glasses and his mouth. He watched as Dean peaked his tongue out and licked across his dry lips. He pushed forward and lightly pecked the flesh before pulling back swiftly. They stayed frozen for a moment before this time Dean closed the distance between their mouths.

The familiar pressed against the raven, wanting to savor the taste of the man. Their lips against each other haltingly, both nervous. As they continued to kiss, they grew more comfortable with one another. Dean slid his tongue out again, swiping at the flesh of the witch’s lips. Cas gasped and the familiar took the opening, slipping his tongue into the other’s mouth.

Neither was sure who let out the moan as their tongues brushed against one another for the first time. Their tongues poked at one another before sliding over and under each other. Dean moved closer, exploring the other man’s mouth completely. Cas let him take charge, melting into the kiss, never having been kissed so thoroughly in his life.

Cas whimpered before pulling away, gasping for breath. He touched his mouth, tingles of arousal still shooting through his body. He glanced to Dean and found the man still staring at him, his lips spit slick and red from their kiss.

“Wow,” the familiar said barely above a whisper.

“I must concur,” the witch replied.

“Cas, that was awesome, best kiss I’ve ever had.”

The raven’s brain was still short-circuiting and could only say, “I concur.”

Dean chuckled before placing another chaste kiss to the witch’s mouth. He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the man in front of him. He had never imagined he would find a witch he was compatible with and certainly never one he could trust but God help him, he trusted this man sitting across from him.

“Dean, is everything alright,” Cas said worriedly, breaking the familiar from his stupor.

“Yeah Cas, everything is great. So, where do we go from here,” the man asked.

Cas was on completely new terrain, having never been in a relationship. That had only been his third kiss and his mind was still reeling from how perfect it had been. A thought occurred to him causing him to frown. He had very little experience when it came to relationships, what if Dean had no desire to have to deal with a novice like him?

“Hey, Cas, look at me sunshine. What’s going on in that pretty head of your,” concern etched on his face as he looked at the witch.

Cas pulled away completely, his magic beating louder in his head than ever before. He cried out as he covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. His magic scratched and clawed at the inside of his head; the sounds similar to that of dragging nails across a chalkboard. He fell to the floor, whimpering, his whole body trembling as pain shot through him.

“CAS, CAS, are you ok,” the familiar shouted as he slid to the floor and placed on a hand on the witch’s stomach where his shirt had ridden up.

The raven felt immediate relief as Dean’s skin came into contact with his own. He was gasping for breath as the noise in his head subsided until finally all was quiet again. Tears were falling down his face and his body still trembled with aftershocks.

“Cas, sunshine, please talk to me, I’m freaking out here,” Dean said, his voice full of panic.

The witch groaned as he turned so that he could look at the other man, making sure not to let Dean’s hand slip from his skin. In between breaths, “I’m fine, now. Please don’t quit touching me.”

The familiar hauled the witch up and pulled him into the safety of his arms. Cas buried his face into Dean’s chest as the man placed kisses in his hair. “I won’t, I promise. You scared the shit out of me, what the hell happened.”

The witch shook his head, “I don’t know, when I pulled away from you, my magic exploded inside my head. It was like nails were dragging down the inside of my skull and these horrible scratching noises were beating against my brain.”

Dean chewed on his lips, “Why did you pull away from me? Did I do something wrong?”

Cas pulled back to look at the blonde, “What, no? It was my fault. I got worried.”

“Worried about what,” the man asked confused.

The raven sighed before answering, “I got worried that you would be upset with my inexperience in relationships among, uh, other stuff.”

Dean watched as the man’s blush spread from his cheeks all the way to his ears and down his neck. Dean tipped the man’s chin up, “Cas, was that your first kiss?”

The witch dropped his head back against the familiar, “No but it was only my third.”

“Cas, do you really think I care that you don’t have a lot of experience in the romance department,” the man asked sincerely as he leaned forward to place a quick kiss to his lips.

The raven frowned, “Dean, I have hardly any. The only thing I’ve ever done is kiss two other people and that’s only because they played an enchanted game of truth or dare and had no choice. I’ve done more with you tonight than in my entire life.”

The familiar smiled, “Sunshine, I wouldn’t care if you had never kissed anybody before and I mean those first two times don’t really count. I like you because of you, because you’re smart, caring, talented, and so eager to help people even if you hardly know them. So, you’ve never slept with anyone, who cares. I just get to introduce you to a whole bunch of stuff and I’m the one who will get to experience all your firsts.” The blonde rubbed at the back of his neck, “And, hopefully all of your lasts.”

Cas’ eyes went wide, “Dean, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

The blonde nodded, a smile gracing his lips, “Yeah Cas, I am. I want to bond with you, I want to be your familiar.”

Tears slipped from the witch’s eyes as he wrapped an arm around Dean’s neck and pulled him forward to crash their lips against one another. The familiar swiped against the witch’s lips who opened his mouth immediately. Dean swept inside the raven’s mouth, wanting to taste every last inch he could reach. Cas melted into the kiss, letting the familiar lead. They broke apart, their foreheads resting against one another.

Cas reached up and cupped the other man’s jaw, “I can’t wait until that potion is finished so we can get rid of these damn glasses. I want to be able to look into your eyes without glass between us.”

“Three days sunshine, we only have three days left and then we’ll be able to get rid of them and then we can bond. I can’t wait to bond with you, it’s going to be extraordinary,” the familiar commented with a smile.

“Three days couldn’t come soon enough,” the witch agreed.

Cas yawned suddenly. “I think somebody is getting sleepy,” Dean chuckled.

The witch nodded tiredly, “Mhm, will you, will you stay with me tonight?”

“Of course, sunshine, c’mon.”

Dean and Cas decided to keep their news to themselves until the day the potion would be finished. On the tenth day of brewing, Gabe and Sam were able to come over later than normal since the potion was nearing completion. Most of the last three days had required for the potion to sit and simmer, needing little assistance from Gabe. The four of them were sat around the kitchen table when Cas asked if he could speak to Gabe alone.

“You want me to come with you,” Dean asked mindful of Cas’ magic.

“I’ll be ok. I’ll call if I can’t handle it.”

They went outside to the porch where they both leaned against the railing looking at one another.

“What did you want to talk about Cas?”

“Dean wants to bond with me,” the younger witch said eagerly.

Gabe broke into a smile and pulled his brother into a hug, “That’s awesome baby bro. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m really excited Gabe! With Dean, I will finally have control of my magic again. I can’t wait to be able to do simple things again without having to worry about blowing up my house. I won’t have to worry about the weather turning disastrous because my magic goes berserk,” the witch rambled on excitedly.

“Easy there Cassie, take it easy. You’re not going to be like those other witches Dean has met are you,” the older Novak asked with concern.

“What do you mean Gabe?”

“The ones who just wanted to use him! So far, the only reasons you’ve said you’re excited to be with Dean have to do with your powers! What about him Cas, why do you want to be with him,” the brother asked nearly shouting.

The raven-haired was shocked at his brother’s outburst, “Of course I want to be with Dean for more than just his powers. I’m just excited to be able to be a witch again. Not to mention, you won’t have to worry about losing me.”

“Why would he lose you,” Dean asked quietly.

Both witches spun around, neither have realized the familiar had come out onto the porch. They looked at each other, worry in their eyes. Gabe shook his head before throwing up a privacy spell before heading inside, leaving the two alone on the porch.

“Dean, I can explain.”

“What did you mean Cas?”

“Eleven days ago, the high Priestess of the Council told me to find a familiar to bond with because my magic had become too powerful, too uncontrollable. They gave me fourteen days before they either drained me of my magic or were forced to kill me,” the raven replied honestly. He sighed before adding, “I told Gabe that I knew they wouldn’t be able to drain me completely; they’d have to kill me, and he’d lose me.”

Dean shook his head, hurt evident in his eyes, “So, all of this, the potion, the other night on the couch, it wasn’t because you cared. You just wanted me to like you enough so that I would bond with you and keep you from dying. It was all just a lie!”

“Dean, no..no.. that wasn’t it at all,” Cas said, tears sliding down his cheeks.

“Then what was it? Why didn’t you just tell me from the start? You know my past, you know how I’ve been lied to so why would you do it to,” the familiar shouted, letting anger consume him so he could cover the feeling of his heart breaking.

The witch ran his hands through his hair and pulled at the ends, “I didn’t want you to pity me; I didn’t want you to bond with me just so I didn’t die. That’s no reason for a witch and familiar to bond.”

“You think I would have pitied you! If anything, I was able to empathize with you, but I never pitied you. I thought we had something Cas; I finally thought I found a witch who would be truthful with me and who wanted me for me,” the blonde’s voice broke on the last word, unable to stop the tears that were falling.

Dean shook his head before storming off the porch and heading to his car. Cas turned around to watch him, “Where are you going?”

The blonde stopped at the door of his vehicle, “I’m going home. I’m going home and never trusting another witch again.”

Cas sobbed, “What about the potion?”

Dean snorted, “I don’t give a shit what you do with the potion. For all I know, it wasn’t even real, and it was just another ploy for me to trust you.”

“Dean, please, don’t go,” the witch begged as tears streamed down his face.

The familiar’s shoulders drooped for a second before he straightened them, “Goodbye Cas,” he said before getting in the car and driving away.

“Dean, Dean,” the witch called out brokenly as the car moved further down the street.

Cas fell to his knees as anguish consumed him. He didn’t notice the wind picking up or the dark storm clouds rolling in. All he paid attention to was the feeling of his heart breaking as Dean finally disappeared from sight. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked across the sky and still the witch paid no mind.

Gabe and Sam came running onto the porch. They looked around and noticed the absence of Dean’s car.

“Cas, where’s Dean, what happened,” Sam asked worriedly.

“He’s gone Sam, he’s gone,” the witch sobbed.

Another roar of thunder and strike of lightning had Gabe and Sam jumping. They looked at each other, fear evident in their faces.

“Cas, I know this hurts but you have to get control or else some really bad stuff is going to happen. Look at what is already happening. You have to calm down,” Gabe shouted over the rising winds.

“I DON’T CARE GABE! Dean is gone and it’s my fault. I said I wouldn’t hurt him, and I’ve hurt him more than any other witch ever has,” the witch screamed over the howling wind.

Cas continued to cry and as he lost more control, the storm raged on, becoming worse with every passing second. Another bolt of lightning and the tree across the road burst into flames. Gabe and Sam looked on in horror.

“We have to lock him int the panic room Sam, there is no other choice. If we don’t do something, this is going to end badly.”

The familiar nodded before bending over and picking up the distraught witch. They hurried into the house and ran to a room that was at the very back of the house and heavily warded, more so than ever the workroom. They rushed inside and dropped Cas on the bed.

They shut the door and Gabe added even more warding to the room. They waited in tense silence, praying for the noise outside to quiet down. After a few minutes, they breathed in relief when everything went silent.

They turned to Cas. The witch was curled in the fetal position, sobs still shaking his body. They looked at each other unsure of what to do.

The witch turned over and looked at them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I should have told Dean about what the high Priestess told me, but I didn’t and now I’ve ruined everything. He’s not coming back. Sam, I need you to take the potion to him. He deserves to have it. Gabe, I need you to call the Priestess and tell her to come immediately. There’s no sense in prolonging the inevitable.”

“Cas, no, we still have three days. You can make up with Dean and.”

“NO! FOR ONCE LISTEN TO ME! Dean is done with me and I couldn’t ask him to come back. Get him the damn potion and call the Priestess. You saw what happened out there, I’m done Gabe; I can’t fight this anymore. I’m done,” the witch wailed, sobs wracking his body again.

Gabe and Sam stood frozen, neither wanting Gabe to follow the orders he had just been given when suddenly a blood curdling scream reverberated through the room. Cas was curled up as small as possible, his hands thrown over his ears, his body wracked with tremors. They could feel the magic emanating from him and the wards on the room were barely keeping it contained.

“CAS, what’s happening,” Gabe hollered over his brother’s screams.

The witch didn’t answer, continuing to scream as the noise inside his head grew louder and more painful. Sam hated to do it, but he pulled Gabe out the room and slammed the door shut. His witch fought him, but he was no match for Sam’s much larger frame.

“SAM, let me back in there, I have to help Cas,” the witch yelled as his familiar wrapped him in his arms tightly, unwilling to let him go.

“Gabe, stop, There’s nothing you can do for him.” It nearly killed Sam to say those words, but they were the truth.

The witch shook his head, “No, there has to be something. We have to do something.”

“We have to do what Cas asked. I’m going to take the potion to Dean, and you need to call the Priestess. There’s only one thing that can help Cas now,” the man said, his voice breaking with the truth.

Gabe slumped against him, “Go take Dean the potion, I have a call to make.”

Sam hurried to gather the potion and drop it off to his brother, not wanting to leave his witch alone for very long. He flew to his brother’s cabin, landing heavily in front before shifting back to human. He ran up the porth and knocked on the door. It took minutes before his brother finally answered.

Dean looked awful, his eyes red and bloodshot from crying. He opened the door and glared at his brother.

“What do you want? If you’ve come to tell me I need to go back.”

Sam cut the blonde off, “I’m here to drop this off.” He held the potion out.

Dean scowled at the bottle, “I don’t want it. Get rid of it.”

“Dammit Dean, quit being an asshole and take the damn potion. Gabe spent ten days brewing this thing for you because Cas begged him to so that you wouldn’t worry about your stare being deadly,” the younger Winchester said angrily.

“It was a lie Sam, the whole thing was a lie. That potion probably isn’t real, just something Cas said to get me to trust him,” Dean snarled.

Sam did something he had never done; he punched his brother. Dean fell to the floor not expecting it. Sam was suddenly straddling his waist and forcing his mouth open, pouring the potion down his brother’s throat.

Before Dean could retaliate, the glasses were being ripped off his face and he was looking at his brother straight in the eyes.

“You see, it wasn’t a trick. Cas didn’t tell you about the Priestess because he didn’t want you bonding with him just to save him. He wanted you to bond with him but only if you chose him. Now, I have to go. Gabe is calling the Priestess to come tonight. Cas’ magic is… it’s out of control and he has no hope of holding on any longer. I need to be with my witch,” Sam said, sadness causing some of his words to break.

Dean watched as Sam turned around and walked off the porch before shifting into his dragon form and flying off. The younger Winchester landed heavily outside of Cas’ house before shifting and hurrying inside to Gabe. He found the witch sitting outside the panic room, tears running down his face, Cas’ screams echoing from inside.

Sam settled next to him and pulled him into his arms. “She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

The familiar had no words and just held his witch tighter. They felt a ripple in the wards and looked up to see the high Priestess standing in front of them. She was a stern woman, her red hair pulled into a tight bun, her shoulders ramrod straight in her simple black pantsuit. On her shoulder sat a magnificent hawk, his keen eyes missing nothing.

“Hello Gabriel, Samuel. I wish I were here for more pleasant reasons.”

They all flinched as Cas screamed, louder than ever before. The door shook against Sam’s back, the witch’s magic fighting to get loose.

“We will need to set up a barrier around the doorframe so that his magic can’t escape,” the woman said stoically.

Gabe nodded forlornly before standing along with Sam. Gabe and the Priestess joined hands and along with the help of their familiars, created a barrier that would be able to hold Cas’ magic for a few minutes. She gestured to the door and Gabe opened it. They were all pushed back by the force of Cas’ power rushing from the room.

The Priestess moved forward silently, the two men following her. Cas was still on the bed, hands over his ears, and tremors so strong they bent his body. The woman walked over and stood beside the bed, reaching a hand towards Cas, and forcing him to turn over.

She glanced down at the man beneath her, a small flick of despair flashing in her eyes, “I’m truly sorry it came to this Castiel. It will all be over in a few seconds. It’s a quick spell, you won’t feel a thing, I promise.”

Cas nodded his head and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for eternal darkness to consume him. The Priestess reached out the other hand, so both were laying on Cas’ chest. She started to mutter the spell when suddenly, a loud hissing sound filled the room. She turned around and saw a large green snake standing in the doorway. He slithered across the room, shrinking in size until it was only about two feet long, and moved until he was curled on Cas’ chest in a defensive posture.

The raven-haired witch opened his eyes as the noise in his head and the body tremors stopped all at once. “Dean,” he cried, shocked to see the serpent resting on his chest.

The snake turned to look at him, _“I’m not letting you die Cas.”_

The witch stared at the snake, his mouth hanging open is shock. He looked at the Priestess, “Can we have a few minutes?”

“You have five minutes Castiel. You either come out bonded to this familiar, or you don’t come out at all,” the woman warned before walking out, Gabe and Sam following.

Once the door shut, Dean slithered off Cas and shifted back to his human form, making sure to keep contact with the witch. “Cas, are you stupid? You were going to let her kill you.”

Dean looked at Cas and whimpered at what he saw. The man was worse than he was. His eyes were an angry red and swollen, his cheeks tear stained, his lips bloody from having chewed on them. The witch was bone tired barely able to stay awake now that his magic was no longer screaming inside his head.

“I can’t control it anymore Dean. I don’t have a choice, there is nothing that can be done for me,” the witch said bitterly.

“That’s not true, that’s not true,” Dean insisted.

“Dean, you made it quite clear that you have no desire to bond with me and there is no other familiar who is even close to being able to handle my magic so you tell me how it’s not true,” Cas accused as he glared at the man.

“Cas, I’m sorry. I should have believed you and I should have never left. I get why you didn’t tell me, I do and I’m not mad anymore. When Sam told me she was coming, I got here as fast as I could. I can’t lose you Cas. Sam and Gabe need you; I need you,” the blonde said brokenly, tears streaming down his face.

The witch shook his head, “I won’t force you. You deserve to bond with a witch who you trust, who you.. who you love.”

Dean cupped the other man’s cheek and forced their eyes to lock for the first time without glasses between them. The familiar was mesmerized by the beauty in front of him. “Cas, you did lie to me.”

“About what,” the raven asked confused.

“You said your eyes were just blue.”

“They are just blue Dean.”

“No, just blue can’t hold a candle to your eyes. They’re the ocean on a sunny day, they’re clear skies, they’re twin pools of the most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen,” the familiar said in awe.

Cas reached up and stroked fingers down the blonde’s cheek, “Your eyes are the color of the deepest forest, a forest so pure and untouched. They’re gorgeous Dean.”

“Cas, there’s only one witch I want to bond with because there’s only one witch that I love,” the familiar said as he stared at Cas.

“Maybe you should tell them that, so they know for sure,” the with replied with a cocky smile.

Dean rolled his eyes before crashing their mouths together. Cas melted against him and let Dean inside his mouth. The blonde slipped his tongue in, stroking against Cas’s own and he licked every inch of the witch’s mouth. Castiel whimpered as his mouth was plundered. He wrapped his arms around the familiar and pressed as close to him as possible.

They broke apart and Dean whispered, “It’s you Cas, I love you.”

“I love you too Dean. Will you do me the honor of being my familiar and bond your soul to mine for the rest of our lives,” the witch asked in awe of the man in front of him.

“No Cas, I won’t bond with you until the end of our lives. I’ll bond with you for the rest of eternity so that even after we die, we will still be tied together. I never want to be separated from you again,” the blonde spilled his heart out.

Cas kissed him again before holding his hands out. He watched his magic spark between his fingers and lightning shot between the sparks. Dean mirrored the action, his own sparks appearing. They pushed their palms together and watched as the sparks bonded with each other.

They spoke the bonding words at the same time:

“Ego pignus me ad vos. Promitto me semper esse in fide et hortamur vos in vestra universitate. Ego iuro ad sustinere et tueri vos usque ad finem temporis. Cum his verbis, adiuro, anima mea, ut tua.”

With every word spoken, they could feel the strands of their souls tying together, ensuring that nothing would be able to split them apart. As their souls were bonded, their minds became one. From now on, they would be able to communicate telepathically without needing to touch and eventually read each other’s emotions. As the last word was said, they felt their magic combine and rise like a wave before crashing down and then gently lapping at the shore.

“Wow,” Cas whispered, completely overwhelmed.

“That was awesome,” the familiar replied as equally overwhelmed.

“So, what do we do now,” the witch asked.

“First,” Dean pulled his witch into a passionate kiss. When they broke apart, “Second, we’re going to walk outside and tell that Priestess she can go home because you aren’t going anywhere. You’ve got yourself a mythic familiar.”

“I have a partner, a partner that I love,” Cas whispered as he ran fingers through the short blonde locks. They kissed one more time before heading out the room. Four sets of eyes turned to look at them as they walked into the kitchen.

The Priestess spoke first, “Well, I see what your choice was. I do hope you two will be happy together. With that, I will take my leave. Goodbye gentlemen.”

They watched her leave. Once she was gone, Cas and Dean settled at the table.

“So, the potion works, and Dean doesn’t have to worry about killing people with his sight anymore. You two bonded so now Cas’ magic won’t be out of control anymore. I’d say today was a pretty good day,” Gabe said nonchalantly.

“I’m glad you two got your heads out your asses and figured out how you felt. Now, if your feeling anything like how Gabe and I felt, I know what you guys really want to be doing, so with that, we are going to head out. Call us tomorrow,” Sam said as he stood up and pulled Gabe from his own chair. They left the kitchen without any more words being spoken.

Dean chuckled, “You realize our brothers left because they think we want to go at it like rabbits.”

Cas cocked his head, “Go at what like rabbits?”

Dean snorted, “Sex Cas, they left so we could have sex.”

“Oh,” the man’s ears were a bright red once he understood his familiar’s implications.

“So, you want to prove them right?”

Cas jerked his head up, “Uhm, are you up for it?”

“God sunshine, your innocence is killing me. Trust me, there is one part of me that is definitely up for it,” the man said, trying not to laugh at his witch’s cluelessness.

The raven did the signature head tilt as he said, “Why is only one part…oh. Never mind.”

Dean scooted his chair closer so he could reach out and cup the man’s face in his palms. “Cas, we don’t actually have to do anything. I’m not lying that I do want to sleep with you but if you’re not comfortable, then we can wait.”

Cas placed his hands over Dean’s, “I want to Dean, but I’m scared I won’t be good enough or I’ll do something wrong. I don’t even know if I prefer to be on the top or the bottom. What if we like the same thing, then what will we do?”

Dean leaned over and pecked the other man just so he would hush, “Sunshine, you’re overthinking everything. You won’t be bad as long as you enjoy what you do to me and what I do to you. If you do something I don’t like, then I’ll tell you just like you’ll tell me if I do something you don’t like. As far as who tops and who bottoms, I like both equally so no worries.”

The witch chewed on his lip, “We’ll go slow?”

“We’ll go at whatever pace you want Cas,” the familiar said tenderly.

“Ok, I want to try,” the witch said softly.

Dean smiled before placing another gentle kiss to the man’s lips before pulling him out the chair and heading towards their bedroom. Every few steps, he would stop and kiss his witch, trying to soothe the man’s nerves. By the time they made it to the bedroom, Dean could feel Cas’ arousal pressing against his thigh as they kissed.

Once they were in the room, Dean walked to the bed and sat on the edge before pulling the witch until he was standing in between the familiar’s legs. Dean kept his eyes on Cas’ as he slowly slipped his hands underneath the man’s shirt and started roaming his hands across his chest and stomach. The witch moaned as the familiar stroked across his nipples.

Dean smirked, “Did you like that Cas; did you like when I stroked across your nipples?”

Cas blushed but nodded his head. Dean reached for the hem of the witch’s shirt and at Cas’ approval, pulled it off and let it drop to the floor. The familiar stared in appreciation at the skin that was exposed to him. His witch was absolutely stunning. His muscles were lean and toned, his chest broad that tapered into a slightly narrower waist. He didn’t have a six pack of abs but like his arms, his stomach was toned and firm. Dean licked his lips in appreciation as he fingered over the man’s nipples again.

Cas whimpered as his skin was assaulted. He had never really tried to figure out what he liked and already Dean’s touches were driving him crazy. He reached out and fisted his hands in the familiar’s hair trying to anchor himself as pleasure rushed through him.

“You want more sunshine,” the blonde asked huskily.

Cas nodded, “Yes Dean, please. Can you take your shirt off?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he replied as he quickly stripped his shirt.

He then reached out to the witch’s jeans and let his fingers sit against the button.

After a few seconds, the witch growled, “Dean, I might be new to this but I’m pretty sure my pants have to come off if we are to continue.”

“Just making sure you were ready sunshine,” the man said as he unbuttoned the pants and pushed them down Cas’ hips and legs before pooling at his feet. The witch hastily kicked them away. He removed his hands and reached towards Dean’s own jeans. He stopped a few inches away.

“It’s ok Cas, if you want to take them off, go for it,” the blonde encouraged.

With his familiar’s support, Cas reached out and popped the button on the man’s pants. Dean stood up so that they could be removed and now the two men stood in nothing but their underwear. They spent the next few minutes exploring each other’s bodies. Their hands roamed, lips kissed and sucked, and moans echoed throughout the room.

“Dean, I’m ready for more please, I want to see you, all of you,” the raven keened as the familiar sucked a hickey onto the skin of his neck.

Without pre-amble, Dean shucked his underwear off, his cock springing free. The witch licked his lips as reached out and slowly wrapped a hand around the hardened flesh. He jumped when Dean let out a low moan of pleasure.

Cas locked eyes with the other man, “It’s good Cas. Just do what you would do to yourself.”

The witch gave a quick nod before magicking lube into his hand so that he could stroke his hand up and down the sensitive flesh. Dean dropped his head on the raven’s shoulder as Cas pumped his cock. The witch followed his familiar’s instructions and tried to do to Dean the same things Cas enjoyed. He wrapped his palm around the head of the blonde’s cock and twisted, sending sparks of pleasure through Dean’s body.

“Fuck, Cas, feels so good sunshine but if you keep this up, I’m going to cum before we ever reach the finish line,” the man moaned again as Cas stroked his hand up his flesh.

Cas dropped his hand before slipping his fingers into the waistband of his boxers and pushing them to the ground. His own erection bobbed and slapped his stomach as it was released from its confines. Dean licked his lips in appreciation of the prize that was just revealed to him.

He sat heavily on the bed before pulling Cas forward. He reached out and wrapped a hand around his witch’s flesh. The raven’s head fell backward, never having had another person touch him in such an intimate place.

Cas was leaking so much precum, that Dean didn’t need lube. He used the pre-cum to aid the slide of his hand up and down the man’s cock. He leaned forward and licked at the slit of Cas’ cockhead. Instantly hands were buried in his hair and a pornographic moan was ripped from the witch’s throat.

“Holy shit, do that again Dean,” the man begged.

The blonde did so eagerly. He kitten licked at the slit before slowly engulfing the flesh in his mouth. Cas bucked his hips, forcing his cock further down Dean’s throat.

“Ugh, feels so good. More, please, more, need more,” the raven panted as his fingers tightened more around the blonde strands.

Dean continued to bob his head up and down, increasing and decreasing the suction as he went. His hands gripped the witch’s hips, preventing him from thrusting too much. Dean could feel the skin beneath his hands quivering in pleasure.

“Dean, beloved, you have to stop. I can’t hold off much more,” the witch warned.

The familiar gave one last suck before pulling off and swiping at his lips. Cas crashed their lips together, tasting his own essence for the first time. He frowned at the bitter taste, but it wasn’t the worst thing he had ever tried.

They pulled apart and rested their foreheads against one another. “Dean, I’m ready for more.”

“What do you want to try sunshine, top or bottom?”

“Can I try to be on the bottom,” the witch asked timidly.

“We can try whatever you want Cas,” the familiar replied softly.

Cas nodded before lying on the bed and spreading his legs open. Dean crawled forward until he was close enough to reach out and stroke a finger lightly across Cas’ tight entrance. The witch bucked at the unfamiliar feeling.

“Alright, sunshine, I need you to relax for me or else it will hurt. Can you give me some lube?”

The raven blinked an eye and Dean’s hand filled with the jelly substance. He twirled his finger in it before placing the lubed digit at the witch’s puckered entrance. He slowly massaged around the muscle, waiting for his lover to relax. Once he felt Cas’ body untense, he slowly slipped a finger inside. He had never been inside someone as tight as Cas. He slowly moved his finger in and out, trying to gently stretch his lover.

The witch was no longer as vocal, not really enjoying the awkward feeling of the finger inside of him. He tried to relax and figured he just needed to get accustomed to it. He let out a bark when Dean slipped in another finger. It felt even worse than just one finger.

“Dean, stop, please. I, I don’t think I can do this,” Cas said, shame leaking into his voice. His familiar was instantly cupping his face and asking what was wrong at his lover’s request to stop.

“Did I hurt you sunshine, I was trying to be gentle and go slow. I’m sorry if I caused you pain,” Dean said worriedly.

Cas shook his head, “You weren’t hurting me, I just don’t like it. It feels really awkward and I wasn’t feeling any pleasure from it.”

“Ok, that’s fine. How about we switch. I don’t mind bottoming. I know I said I liked both, but I prefer to bottom so I’m ok with us switching,” Dean reassured his upset lover.

“Yes, I would like to switch. Just tell me what to do,” the witch said more eager now.

Dean laid down and opened his legs so Cas could crawl into them. “Ok, just get some lube in your hand and lube up a finger. Then, do what I was doing to you. Start with one finger and stretch me open so when you fuck me, it won’t hurt.”

The witch nodded as lube appeared in his hand. He coated one finger with the stuff before placing it on Dean’s hole. Inch by inch he slipped his finger inside, gasping at the tight heat that surrounded his finger. He moved his finger in and out, feeling Dean’s channel loosen around his digit.

“Add a second finger, I’m good,” the blonde spoke up. Cas did as was told and quickly pushed two fingers inside his lover’s slick hole. “Alright, now scissor them like this.” Dean showed Cas what he meant. “It will help to stretch me more.”

The witch pushed his fingers back in and pushed them apart, his lover’s walls stretching around them. Dean moaned which caused Cas to smile, knowing he was bringing him pleasure. The raven continued to pump his fingers, stretching them with every push inside.

Dean’s knuckles were turning white as he gripped the sheets as pleasure swamped his body. Cas may have never done this before, but he was doing a damn good job. “Alright, sunshine, add a third one and quick. I need you in me bad.”

The witch smiled as he slipped in a third finger. Dean’s muscles clamped around the added intrusion but loosened up soon enough. Within minutes, Cas was pumping three fingers in and out of the familiar’s body easily.

“Cas, try curling your fingers and changing the angle a little bit, see if you can’t find my prostate,” the blonde panted as sweat rolled down his forehead.

Cas nodded and did as instructed. He slipped the tip of his tongue out in concentration and it was the most adorable thing Dean had ever seen. That thought flew out the window as pleasure racked through his body, “SHIT! There you go Cas, right there sunshine, hit right there again, that was fucking fantastic!”

The witch did as told and soon his lover was a whimpering mess on the bed as Cas struck his prostate over and over again. “Alright, Cas, I’m good! I need you in me now, please sunshine, I need you,” the blonde begged.

Cas pulled his fingers away and looked at Dean, his confusion evident. He waited for the man to get his breathing under control. “Alright Cas, all you got to do is lube up your cock and then push inside me little bit at a time until you’re all the way in.”

The raven chewed on his lip, “What if I hurt you? I don’t want to cause you pain.”

The blonde struggled to sit up but was able to do so. He grabbed Cas’s hands in his and waited for the other man to look at him. They smiled at each other before Dean said, “There will be a little pain from the stretch but nothing too bad. You want me to ride you that way I’m controlling the pace?”

“Ride me,” the man asked confused.

Dean snorted, “You lay on your back and I’m on top and I sink down on your cock; get it, I’m riding you.”

“I’m not stupid Dean, it makes sense now and I think I would prefer that. I’m not comfortable being in control right now,” the man said, shame edging into his voice.

The blonde kissed his loved, “Hey, you’re doing fine. Everything is really good, I’m enjoying myself and you are too right?”

The witch gave a shy nod, “Yes I am. I think I’m ready to continue.”

He moved so he was lying down on the bed. Dean crawled up his body until he was sitting just above Cas’ pelvis. He leaned over and kissed his lover, reassuring him the best he could. Cas responded and wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck. They broke apart, love shining in their eyes as they stared at each other.

Dean held his hand out and Cas magicked some lube into it. The familiar reached behind him and gripped the witch’ cock lightly and pumped it a few times. He then scooted backwards so he could position himself right over the man’s erection. He sunk down inch by inch allowing his body to stretch to accommodate Cas’ member as it slid inside him.

The witch whimpered as his cock was engulfed in the tight, wet heat of Dean’s body. He was fighting just to hold still so the familiar could sink all the way down. Dean keened low in his throat as his hole was stretched. Both were shaking by the time he was fully seated on Cas’ cock.

“Sunshine, you feel so fucking good, stretching me in all the right places and filling me just how I like,” the blonde panted as pleasure raced through his entire body.

Cas reached trembling hands out to rest on the blonde’s thighs, “You feel exquisite, you’re so tight and hot and my God Dean, it’s taking all my power not to move. Please, can I move,” the man begged, his voice breaking.

Dean leaned over and kissed him before whispering, “Go ahead and move sunshine, fuck me like you want to.”

It seemed that the last of Cas’ inhibitions fell away with those words. In the next second he thrust his hips up, pushing even deeper into the familiar’s pliant body. Dean dropped his mouth open in pleasure as the witch started fucking him. It took a few seconds to get in sync, but soon the two men had a rhythm going. Dean would sink down as Cas thrust up causing his cock to sink deeper into the familiar.

Cas adjusted slightly and Dean cried out as his prostate was nailed. “Right there Cas, right there and I’ll be cumming in seconds,” the blonde panted as he sunk down again.

Both were coated in sweat and the only sounds were their moans and their bodies slapping against one another. Cas thrust harder into the man above him and he could feel his balls tightening. He watched as Dean started stroking his cock, getting closer to orgasm. Cas’ thrusts became erratic as he felt his own orgasm approaching. With a few more brutal thrusts, the familiar grunted as his orgasm crashed into him. His cock erupted, strings of cum shooting over his hand and onto the witch’s stomach. With the pressure of Dean’s wall clenching around him, Cas fell off the cliff. He felt his cock empty inside of the blonde, as he hollered with the pleasure coursing through his veins.

Dean collapsed on top of Cas, their bodies sticking together because of sweat and semen. They lay there panting, their hearts beating rabidly. Cas’ cock softened and slipped from Dean’s body along with cum that leaked from his hole.

“Holy fucking hell Cas, I would never have guessed that was your first time. I don’t think I’ve ever been fucked so thoroughly,” the blonde said as exhaustion started kicking in.

“This was the most enjoyable night of my life; I can’t wait to do it again,” the witch said with a lopsided grin on his face.

“You’re going to have give me a while Cas. I haven’t cum like that in a long time, like seriously sunshine, you wore me out,” the blonde said with a soft kiss to the man’s lips.

Cas did a quick spell, cleaning them up instantly, before rolling over and pulling Dean into his arms. “Thank you for being so patient with me and explaining what to do. I promise next time will be even better.”

The familiar groaned, “I’m not sure I can handle better Cas, this was pretty damn awesome.”

The witch chuckled, “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself beloved.” He paused, saying in a more serious tone, “Thank you Dean, for everything you’ve done. You’ve given me my magic and my life back. Now, you’ve given me your trust and your heart. I promise to cherish you for the rest of forever. I love you so much.”

“You’ve given me just as much in return. I never have to live in fear of hurting someone with my stare again. You’ve given me your trust and loyalty as well. I’ll always love you sunshine.”

They shared one more tender kiss, both of them happier than they ever thought possible. Within minutes, they were both sound asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms and bonded for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's the end of another story, I hope you guys liked it. I may do a time-stamp or two of this because I did like it so much but I'm not sure, I also like where it ended.  
> If anybody was wondering what the English translation meant for their bonding words:  
> I pledge myself to you. I promise to always be in faith and encourage you in your endeavors. I swear to support and protect you until the end of time. With these words, I bind my soul to yours


End file.
